10 Tips to artistic renewal: What are you doing to keep the creative energy flowing?

Creative Energy

Emily Dimov-Gottshall

Blogger

emilyandjon@atlanticbb.net

With the weather being cold one day and lovely warm and muddy the next, most of us have been doing extra bundling and cleaning up. What to do when you feel like you’re in a rut? What do you do when you feel like you can’t voice your feelings? How do you break up the monotony of going to work, home life and work again? Art, that’s how! Art is scientifically proven to give people a feeling of optimism, create strong bonds, give voice to the voiceless and makes life that much more brighter. Here are a few tips on how to get over that creative funk and learn something new about your self and other’s in your community.

1. Join an art group. Art in Common is a local art group that meets about once a month. Find them on FB. There are many art groups and finding a good fit is as easy as searching for them online and through your local library or college.

2. Make art. This seems like an obvious thing to do but doing art begets more art. It doesn’t matter how much you did or didn’t do before. Pick up a pen or pencil and start doodling. All of it matters and builds skills. One of my favorite past times is drawing over magazine models and giving them some unique expressions. This relieves stress and lets me laugh at the pretenses that we’re fed by mass media.

4. If you’ve been painting and just stopped all of the sudden, think about trying something else. Or even start painting with your less dominate hand. This rewires the way we think and gives us a new way of thinking and seeing. Speaking of which…

5. Flip your work upside down. After your first few strokes/inking, flip it over and look again. Also, take a photo in process. This helps to see dark and light, proportion and often, relieves some of the anxiety of performing/being perfect. Remember there is no such thing as perfect art.

6. There are masters of art, however. People who have honed their skill purely by practicing. Remember this, always.

7. Practice your art. On days you don’t feel like doing anything, open up a recipe book and cook something you’ve never tried before.

8. Watch good films on art. Here’s a good start. Art 21 is really good (free, too!) as well as many youtube art channels and how to’s.

9. Do not compete. Learn, admire, borrow bits but don’t compete. It’ll set you up for disappointments. Plus, you have your own voice to share. I’d also say don’t be a photo realist artist. Many people think if they can’t draw an actual vase or person realistically, they aren’t an artist. Nope, you’re still an artist. You could be an abstract, conceptual, impressionistic, sculptural artist…we’ll never know until you create it!

10. Teach others a skill. This helps me so much. When I see others learning and can guide them, I learn more about my self and what creativity means.

Oh, okay…one last one:

11. Share your work. Put your self out there and make your own blog or youtube channel. The more you practice and put your self out there, the stronger your artistic perspective will be.

Do you have any ideas on what to do to lift the dull drums? Do you have a blog you’d like to share that highlights your art? Leave a comment or drop me an email. Thanks!